


Hot like coffee

by ElectricDove



Series: Mythical Brew: rhink coffee shop au [2]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bakery and Coffee Shop, Coffee Shops, M/M, Rhett's glorious hair, crew- Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-30 08:02:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11459421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElectricDove/pseuds/ElectricDove
Summary: Continuation of my rhink coffee shop au - One shot in which Rhett's hair plays a too big role.





	Hot like coffee

**Author's Note:**

> This is just kinda silly. But I saw the prompt for coffee shop au and since I wrote this multi chaptered coffee shop au last year already, I had a little fun in the same alternate universe.
> 
> Actually a bit inspired by Sarah, so thank you!
> 
> (Also, I know the crew isn't everyone's favorite. But they play a small role in all of this, mostly Chase, Lizzie & Ellie fyi.)

Mythical Brew is bustling; chatter is filling the coffee scented air, tattooed arms are working coffee machines and there’s an actual (mini) blow torch being used to make freshly torched s’mores for the mid afternoon crowd. 

The tables are mostly occupied, young professionals typing away on their laptops, a sweet couple sharing the vegan pie of the day, a young mom in leggings breathing in her freshly brewed macchiato while she makes herself comfortable in an easy chair by one of the big windows.  
The coffee shop is as pleasantly busy as always. June in California is as hot as always, but airconditioning makes it just as good to sit inside as it is to sit outside underneath one of the many parasols, with a fresh fruit lemonade or an iced coffee never too far away.

The Mythical crew, all smiles and with just a hint of sweat on their brows, walk around with the orders, zigzagging between the tables and delivering the goods to eager customers.

At one of the faded wood tables two girls are sitting close together, lavender and bright red hair almost mixed as their heads press closer enough to whisper. Their eyes are glued to the two men sitting just a table away from them, the raspberry cheesecake actually in front of them not as enticing as the pair trying to argue quietly and failing miserably.

For the past ten minutes or so, the girls have been watching the argument unfold. The sweet kiss the men exchanged in greeting, followed by the drastically changing body language directly after, the steady pace of conversation growing more annoyed by the minute, it’s like watching a trainwreck and the girls can’t look away from it.

“One of them is the owner, right?”

She looks at her friend expectantly, taking a distracted sip from her nearly forgotten iced tea and chewing on one of the ice cubes.

“The handsome one?”

“What do you mean, the handsome one?!”

She almost raises her voice above a whisper, filled with outraged disbelief as she looks at her friend as if she just suggested the moon was green. The men before them, tall and well built, with contrasting hair but almost similar facial hair, are definitely both gorgeous.  
A well crafted eyebrow shoots up as she waits for an explanation, or even better a correction from her friend. 

“They're both are attractive, I can see that, I guess. They look good together at least. But i dunno, I think the..” 

They both raise their heads as a sudden outburst grabs their wandered attention, their apparent disagreement about the attractive men quickly forgotten. Both girls, heads pressed together again, watch with rapt attention as the blond man stands up, his full height almost intimidating as he towers over his companion. 

They watch as he wipes his hands on his jeans, runs his hands up his hair, making him look a bit disheveled and possibly even more attractive than before. Expecting a big outburst, something loud and harsh, the almost whispered words only barely loud enough for them to catch are almost a let down to the captive audience of two.

“You’re a jerk, man.”

As his long legs take him away to behind the bar, where two young guys are just as busy with more coffee orders as they’re with joking around, the girls take a moment to appreciate the retreating figure. Taking their focus back to the table across from them, they catch a similar appreciating look on its lone occupant as he watches just as they’d done. 

Trying to stifle some of their laughter by finally taking a bite of their delicious cheesecake, the girls almost miss the grin and saucy wink the man directs at them. Bursting into genuine surprised giggles, leaning close together, the girls are treated to another nice looking retreating back as the man follows his companion behind the bar and leaves them without immediate entertainment.

 

\--

“You’re a jerk, man.”

Rhett reiterates the sentiment again as Link catches up to him, almost literally so as he bumps into the man’s broad back just outside his own office. He says it without turning, staring straight ahead like he’s just being stubborn and proud but Link sees the hunched shoulders as much more telling.

Instead of responding to Rhett, Link just leans in a bit, wraps his arms around the man who’s currently giving him the cold shoulder. Or the cold back really.

He hadn’t seen his boyfriend for the past three weeks due to a work related retreat and Link had missed seeing Rhett every day, being close to him.  
But of course within moments of Rhett’s return, Link had put his foot in his mouth and hadn’t managed to get it out while they were sitting in the coffeeshop.  
Pressed up against his back now, Link takes a deep breath to inhale the scent of his man that even registered to him in the place where there seemed to be an ever present coffee smell wherever you went. 

Not letting go of Rhett’s midsection, Link bodily pushes him through the doorway of the office, closing the door behind him with a well placed kick of his sneaker.  
He can feel Rhett’s sigh as much as he can hear it, deep inside the man’s chest. Only through experience can he also see the put upon look on Rhett’s face just before he decides to forgive his boyfriend’s earlier rude behaviour.  
Knowing some corny sweetness never hurts in a situation like this, Link presses a kiss between Rhett’s shoulder blade and pulls out his original Southern accent.

“Darlin’. Please don’t be mad at me, honey. You know I’m just a fool, a fool for you, baby.”

Smiling as he does so, Link then turns Rhett around in his arms and looks up at him with wide innocent eyes. Losing the thick accent, he speaks more genuine this time as Rhett’s eyes finally meet his.

“I missed you, baby.”

Rhett's eyes, grey but almost green in the natural light, are still narrowed to show his annoyance with Link. He's still not speaking, which tells Link he has really struck a nerve. Unintentionally, but that's how it always goes with him.

“I'm sorry, Rhett. I was only teasing you, you're gorgeous as ever and I love you in every way.”

Rhett’s final sigh is more for show than anything else, the frown on his brow finally gone and only the slightly kicked puppy look remaining. Link knows he’ll have to work on that a little while longer, so he drags Rhett down to properly make his apology and kiss his man like he’d wanted to for the past 15 minutes or so. 

The way Rhett melts into the kiss, long arms easily winding around Link's shoulders, tell him he's been forgiven by now. The way Rhett's lips move eagerly over his own, tongue slipping between them, tell Link he's been missed just as much.

There’s an, only slightly, embarrassed cough from the door, making them break apart, heads turning to Chase who’s waiting for their attention in the doorway. 

“Missed the knock on the door again, boss.”

Walking to the small sitting space inside the office as he speaks, Chase shoots a look at Link. He’s not sure the look is admonishing, embarrassed or actually just amused, but Link takes it and moves just an inch away from Rhett’s embrace to be on the safe side.  
There’s only so many times an employee can walk in on several almost embarrassing situations before it gets truly awkward.

Rhett's hand lingers on his shoulder though, long fingers splayed over the protruding bones there and rubbing them softly through the fabric of Link's button up. It's a small gesture but it warms Link more than the bright sunlight streaming through the windows of the office, in return he sways a bit and lets his hip bump into Rhett's leg for a moment.

Chase easily moves on through and unloads the serving tray he carried in with him. The low coffee table is filled with a large coffee from the latest roast that Link hasn’t had the time to fully appreciate yet, a coconut vanilla bubble tea for Rhett, a variety of baked goods and fresh fruits for the both of them to enjoy.

Talking as he works, Chase is efficient and cheery at the same time.

“Good to see you’re back though, Rhett! Hasn’t been the same without you, or better said, Link hasn’t been the same without you. The morning grumps fully returned these weeks. So, we’re all glad you’re back.”

The placid smile on Chase’s face as he turns back to them, is accented with just a hint of mischief. It’s barely polite, but Link only tries half heartedly for a stern look. He can take it, Chase knows that. And besides that, he knows it's true, he's been driving the crew up the wall. Stevie and Chase, his closest friends on the team, have been almost constantly on damage control.

Link had long given up on trying to correct his crew and instead had given into the warm but teasing friendships he now has with most of them. Some of the newer ones, the people whose names he keeps forgetting, take some getting used to.  
But as Mythical Brew grows, the demand still picking up and showing no sign of slowing down after several years, the Mythical Crew grows with it. Link can’t help but be proud of the team he surrounds himself with, and the coffee shop they run so well.

Chase looks at them contemplating, opening his mouth to say more, possibly something that may very well accidentally destroy the tentative peace that has settled in the office after Link's apologizing skills saved the day. Link braces himself, looks up at Rhett to see if he’s noticed Chase’s attention on them. Rhett however, has no longer eyes for either of them at all, his attention solely on the table filled with drinks and food. 

“Hopefully you can get him to shave, Stevie has been bugging him about it, a lot.” 

The laugh Link lets out is part relief and part amusement, the irony of the statement, as Chase runs a hand over his own fuzzy beard, seems lost on the young man. Rhett’s attention is back on Link though, appreciative eyes roaming over the facial hair Link has grown in the time he’s been away. 

From the hallway a shocked “NO! Not the beard!” is heard just before Lizzie and Ellie come into view. Lizzie pops her head in, short blonde pixie cut almost as dazzling as her smile in the sunny room. Ellie is not far behind, red lipstick drawing attention to her infectious smile. 

“Don't listen to them, boss. The beard is gorgeous.”  
“I second that!”

A mock angry look is shot at Chase, who holds his hands up in surrender, before Lizzie and Ellie simultaneously seem to notice Rhett standing in the office next to Link. Their eyes are huge as they take in the sight of Rhett: tall as ever, suntanned, handsome and quietly obviously wearing his hair in a small but messy manbun.

“Wow!”  
“A manbun?”  
“Oh my god.”  
“You went for the manbun?”  
“Oh wow.”  
“That’s really-”

It's Link's turn for damage control, stepping away from Rhett, pushing Chase to the door as he tries to stop the girls from talking. 

“Out! All of you! Gosh Lizzie, Ellie, have some sense, will ya! And you!”

He points at Chase, who’s still holding up his hands as if to ward off any attacks directed his way. Turning his head Chase addresses Rhett.

“I like the hair! Looks great, Rhett!”

Closing the door on all of them, muffled laughter still coming from the hallway, Link gives Rhett an apologetic look. 

“I’m sorry, baby. They don’t know what they’re talking about. You’re gorgeous and I love-”

Before Link can continue he’s interrupted by Rhett’s uproarious laughter. The sound is instantly infectious, warm and rich, enveloping Link where he stands perplexed some feet away.  
Not knowing what it is exactly that’s making Rhett laugh, but not caring very much, Link joins his boyfriend’s laughter. His delighted laughter makes Rhett laugh even louder, head thrown back as he reaches for Link who steps willingly into the embrace again. 

When Rhett finally speaks his voice is raspy but warm with fondness and laughter, his first words after his earlier accusation of Link’s jerkiness. 

“I do look a bit silly, right? If even the hipster children think it’s too much, it probably is.”

He laughs a bit self deprecating, making Link laugh with him, but softly this time. This isn’t the time to make fun of Rhett or his tiny bit pretentious hairstyle, Link learned from his earlier experience. He can’t help a little jab at the self conscious man though.

“You listen to the kids though and not when your boyfriend is telling you? Hmm.”

Link makes an overly thoughtful face, his lopsided grin betraying his obvious humor. Rhett knows better than to indulge Link, so he just moves his arms behind his head to snap the band that holds his hair back in the controversial manbun. 

“Don’t listen to the kids though, Link. I agree with Lizzie on this, it’s not a bad look on you, babe.”

Rhett’s only notices Link’s lack of reaction when he looks back down, right in the starstruck eyes of his boyfriend. 

Even before his trip he’d let his hair grow long, much to Link’s chagrin. In the past months Rhett had dedicated to letting it grow out, the natural curls making it messy and casual instead of upright and much, much more work. The drain in their apartment had suffered and clogged up with even more hair than usual, but Rhett had argued Link’s body hair did make up at least half of it.  
But there’s something about warmer climates, the sunshine and the more relaxed atmosphere, that makes Rhett sure his hair has grown at least 3 inches. 

Long waves of golden hair cascades down his shoulder, filling Link's vision with honey and sunshine. At the same time he’s hit with an overwhelming smell of Rhett, clean and musky at the same time. Link feels overrun with a fierce attraction, a sense so strong he can't help the gasp or the tears that spring into his eyes. 

Taking a moment longer to take in the view, Link fully appreciates the whole lumberjack meets mountain man meets LA hipster musician who dates a hipster coffeeshop owner.  
When he blinks his eyes, no longer blinded by the magnificent sight that is his boyfriend with his hair down, Link is greeted with a smug smile on Rhett's face. 

“Better?” Rhett asks.

The eye roll is enough of an answer in Link’s opinion and he decides that smug smile clearly needs to be kissed off of Rhett's face before his ego takes flight. Link drags Rhett down with eager hands, his fingers finding their way into long wavy hair as he proceeds to kiss all thoughts, smug or otherwise, out of Rhett’s mind.

Or so Link thinks.  
As he moves back to breathe, his own smug smile showing of his teeth and making his eyes sparkle, Link feels hungry for the gorgeous man in front of him. All teasing and badly timed jokes aside, he doesn’t care whether or not Rhett wears his hair up, or in a manbun, or flowing down to his shoulders. Although he must admit, the latter is a sight to behold.

Not wanting another repeat of last year, when an untimely interruption from Eddie and much outrageous whistling, had made him unable to make eyecontact with his crew for a week, Link moves to the door with the intention of locking it.  
The loss of close contact however makes Rhett’s eyes wander and with a delighted “Oh!” he rediscovers the coffee table filled with food and drinks. Before Link even gets to the door Rhett is already halfway through his slice of keylime ‘no cheese’ cheesecake, making some obscene noises Link had hoped to be the source of later on.  
This time the eyeroll is mostly affection, as he forgets about the lock on the door and takes his place right next to Rhett on the comfortable couch. Standing between Rhett and food is not a mistake he’ll ever make. As his reward he gets a sticky kiss to bearded cheek and a cookie dough chocolate truffle on a napkin and that’s really okay with Link.

\--

Chase makes his way to the floor, delivering a black coffee to a stressed out student who shoots him a grateful look before resuming her furious typing pace, when he gets stopped by two girls at a table near the counter.

Smiling pleasantly he moves to take out his ordering pad, but the red haired girl stops him with a bothered look on her face.

“Is everything okay? Was your order allright?”

He’s not really worried with their service or their products, but Chase is experienced enough to know some customers make big problem out of small worries. Always ready to make problems go away, Chase knows he can handle whatever it is that’s bothering the girl gingerly reaching out to his arm.

“I-, we just wanted to ask- The owner of this place, we saw him, I think-”

Before she can continue her stumbling question, cheeks flaming with embarrassment, her friend cuts in. 

“We wanna know if the hot guys are okay. They were arguing before, one of them is the owner, or at least they went behind the counter and we haven’t seen them after. So?”

Chase lets out a surprised laugh, this wasn’t on his list of expected problems to solve. But this is definitely one of the easiest to solve. Smiling brightly at the two girls, intent on taking away their worries.

“Rhett and Link are good together, just like always.”

**Author's Note:**

> I actually think they're both gorgeous ;)
> 
> Kudos and comments are always, always, always lovely and make my day.
> 
> Come find me on [tumblr](http://touchinganelectricdove.tumblr.com/)  
> if you like.


End file.
